When you’re ready to create a video for your business it can be overwhelming. There are a lot of choices, but with a bit of research you can prepare a structure ( called a script) outlining shots you would like to capture, dialogue, still images and various techniques.
Visit our Video Production page to read more details and view sample videos and also check out out YouTube video.
Merchants selling on Amazon.com are asked to submit their catalog of product images on an all white background. There are a couple of ways to shoot your products to look their best.
These samples are not cutouts nor photo edited-these are as shot. Here is an example without any shadows:
Product Photo without shadows
Product Photography with shadow
Visit our Catalog Photography and Product Photography pages.
We’re excited to begin offering small business video production. Video is no longer a novelty but a must for business marketing.
I am passionate about the full range of creativeness video encompasses. The challenge of scripting and helping a business owner to bring his vision to fruition.
Visit our website for more information, and demo reels.
Beauty Dish Photography
This is a simple one light shot. White back drop, a beauty dish with an Einstein 640 flash, 1/4 power. Light was positioned to the extreme camera left approx. 45 degree angle over shoulder of man pointed at girl.
Canon 7D
lens: 70-200mm f/2.8
Aperture f8
Shutter Speed 1/250
White background turned grey since the couple was 8 feet in front. The skin tones varied dramatically, desaturation was the ideal solution.
Studio Portrait Composite
Professional Portrait
Both are one light (flash) portraits.
Einstein 640 @ 1/4 power
22″ beauty dish, diffused
ISO 100
Aperture f8
Shutter Speed 1/200
Daylight balanced
Canon 7 D 70-200 2.8
set to Neutral
It all begins with a well lit photo. The beauty dish was placed directly overhead of subject, just out of frame, using white foam core for fill bounce below at waist level.
Shot against a white backdrop brought in an artist to create Illustrator backgrounds with texture, and manipulated photo and backgrounds in Photoshop.
Think you need a full studio to take a terrific dramatic portrait?
This is a simple one light portrait, referred to as “Paramount Lighting” (AKA “Butterfly Lighting”). Paramount Lighting was developed by a photographer at Paramount Studios in the 1930s. It was a dramatic and easy way to take publicity photos of their stars. It was an easy setup and proved to be very dramatic. Read more.
I used a 300 watt daylight fluorescent bulb and a small 16″ square soft-box with one diffuser panel. (No flash, continuous light) Placed above the camera, pointed at the subject. Used a tripod.
In Photoshop I posterized the background, and saturated the orange decals.
A simple shot:
35mm
Aperture wide open at 1.4
ISO 250
shutter speed 1/125
The dog is napping on the bed. To keep the camera steady I set it on a book. The biggest challenge was waiting for the moment when the sun came around to the right spot through the window; and of course: trusting the subject would remain still! I chose to blow the shot out – no Photoshopping.
It’s that time of the year. Your Christmas tree is decorated and you want to capture the beauty, only to find the flash is washing out the lights. You just can’t capture the mood.
The only light source needed is the string of tree lights. Even the background wall (on photo 1) is a reflection from the tree lights. Make sure your lights are NOT twinkling. Find just the right distance, angle and proper eye line to place the camera. You need a tripod to steady the camera. You’ll need to custom white balance. Tree lights (LED lights) are about 2500K for custom white balance. I used a 35mm lens on my Canon 7D. The ISO for both of these shots is set to 100.
Photo 1:
Aperture is 2.8
Shutter Speed set to 2.5 seconds
Get a great close up – easily! Photo 2
Photo 2 – Close up of tree branch:
Aperture is 5.6
Shutter Speed set to 6 seconds.
You don’t need special lighting for this one. Turn off your flash, put your camera on manual.
This is a simple shot. You need one household goose-neck lamp with an 18 watt 2700 K energy saver warm bulb. When you purchase energy saver bulbs you’ll notice you often have a choice between daylight balanced and soft white (might read “warm”). Soft white/warm is the typical indoor lighting we all use. This table is pine with a flat finish. The reflection comes from the gold gilded page edges.
Turn off the lights in the room. Focus your goose-neck on the edge of the book. Experiment with camera angles. Use a tripod and a self timer or a remote control. Very simple.
Canon 7D used
Camera settings:
lens: 100mm f/2.8 macro
shutter speed: 1/50
aperture: 2.8
ISO: 200
white balance: “white florescent light” (if using a Canon 7D)
your camera may have a similar setting option, go to the menu and find “white balance”
Have fun!
Bokeh is the background blurred effect created by being out of focus, using a wide aperture.
This image was taken using a 35mm lens 2.8 aperture. Notice the trees and the motorcycle headlight are all out of focus, yet the subjects are in clear focus. That’s the art of getting bokeh by using a wide aperture. Unfortunately, the better the bokeh – the more expensive the lens.
Remember when using a wide open aperture focusing becomes difficult. The wider the aperture the narrower the focus field. At 1.2 or 1.4 you’re dealing with inches on a horizontal plane. Sometimes pinpoint manual focusing is necessary through using Live View – if using Canon 7D.
Practice, practice, practice.